My Brother's Keeper
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: A warlock tricks the sisters into giving him samples of their blood so he can duplicate their powers.
1. Default Chapter

CHARMED  
  
"My Brothers' Keeper"  
  
by J. B. Tilton  
  
email: aramath@isot.com  
  
Rating: G  
  
Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.  
  
* * *  
  
(Authors note: This story takes place between season 4 episodes "The Three Faces Of Phoebe" and Marry-Go-Round".)  
  
* * *  
  
A warlock tricks the sisters into giving him samples of their blood so he can duplicate their powers.  
  
* * *  
  
ONE  
  
Paige opened the front door to the manor and found a man on the front porch. He appeared to be about fifty years old, was wearing a three-piece suit and carrying what looked very much like a sample case.  
  
"Good afternoon," said the man, with just a slight English accent, "are you the woman of the house?"  
  
"Yeah, I supposed I am right now," said Paige.  
  
"Very good," said the man. "My name is Malcolm Smith and I represent the Reliant Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals Company. I was wondering if I might have just a moment of your time."  
  
"Look," said Paige, "whatever you're selling . . ."  
  
"Actually," said Smith, "I'm not selling a thing. I work in research. And I'm only interested in your opinion on some new products we've been working on. In appreciation for your honest opinion on a few items, you'll receive a complimentary collection of some of our most popular products."  
  
"No buying?" asked Paige.  
  
"None whatsoever," said Smith. "I'd simply like to show you some new products and get your opinion on them. That's all."  
  
"Okay," said Paige. "Come in."  
  
"What a lovely old house," said Smith. "I do love the older ones. They have a character you just don't find in those newer, pre-fabricated houses. Do you live here alone?"  
  
"No," said Paige, "I live here with my two sisters and my brother-in-law."  
  
"A family home," said Smith. "That's nice to hear. A grand house like this should have a family."  
  
"We can go into the living room," said Paige.  
  
They sat on the sofa and Smith opened his case. It was filled with lipsticks, compacts, eyeliners, and all the types of makeup items women used. Smith showed Paige a variety of products, even allowing her to sample some.  
  
They really didn't appear to be anything new to Paige. She had seen similar items at cosmetic counters all over the city. But she patiently let Smith show her each item, giving her opinion when he asked.  
  
"Now this," said Smith, pulling out a compact, "is one of our newest products. You know how you have to throw away a compact when it's used up? No more. A simple twist and you can refill it at a fraction of the cost of buying a new one. Go ahead. Give it a try."  
  
Paige pressed the button and the compact popped open. It looked like any other compact, but she could tell that the bottom portion screwed in. She could tell how it screwed in. She grabbed the bottom portion of the compact and gave it a twist. But instead of unscrewing, her finger slid around the edge of the compact.  
  
"Ow," cried Paige. "It cut me."  
  
'I'm so terribly sorry," said Smith, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket. He placed the handkerchief on the cut on her finger and held it there. "This has never happened before. I suppose my demonstration model must be wearing out. Please, accept my sincerest apologies."  
  
"It's just a cut," said Paige. "But you guys might want to do something about that before you start selling them."  
  
"Oh yes, absolutely," said Smith, pulling the handkerchief from her finger.  
  
Paige's finger had already stopped bleeding but the handkerchief was covered in blood. Smith simply stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket.  
  
"Not serious, I should think," he said. "Again, I am dreadfully sorry."  
  
"Oh, it's okay," said Paige. "I've had worse. No real harm done."  
  
"As promised," said Smith, pulling an envelope out of his pocket, "here is a gift certificate good at virtually any cosmetics distributor. It's good for up to two hundred dollars worth of any of our cosmetic products."  
  
"Thanks," said Paige. "That was the easiest two hundred bucks I ever made."  
  
"You have provided invaluable assistance," said Smith. "It's because of individuals like you that we can provide better cosmetics in the future. Now, I must be going. Thank you for your time and, again, I'm dreadfully sorry about the cut."  
  
"Forget it," said Paige. "It will heal. I hope I was helpful."  
  
"My dear," said Smith, "you have no idea how helpful you've been."  
  
Smith packed up his display case and left the manor. He walked down the street past two houses, and then stopped. He turned and looked back at the manor. He reached into his pocket and removed the bloody handkerchief from his pocket.  
  
Carefully he placed the handkerchief into a plastic back and sealed it. He smiled to himself and looked around. Satisfied he was unobserved, he simply vanished from the street. 


	2. Chapter 2

TWO  
  
Piper put the last of the glasses on the counter to dry, and then pulled the plug on the sink. It was nice to spend time alone in the club for a change. The recent demon attacks and Phoebes' impending wedding had her nearly frazzled. Ii was good to spend even a few moments in the mundane.  
  
She looked around the club. Everything looked just about ready to open. In a little bit the staff would arrive to make the last minute preparations. She began making mental notes. All the liquor was all stocked. The glasses were all cleaned. All of the cans of compressed liquids were filled. All that was left was to chop some fruits for the drinks. She pulled out the cutting board and some lemons.  
  
"Excuse me," said a man walking toward the bar, "are you the proprietor?"  
  
The man was about fifty and was wearing a suit. He carried a briefcase in one hand and a small box in the other. He spoke with just a slight English accent.  
  
"How did you get in here?" demanded Piper.  
  
"The door was unlocked," said the man, pointing toward the front of the club.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked.  
  
"I'm looking for the proprietor," said the man.  
  
"You found her," said Piper, suspiciously.  
  
"Ah, good," said the man, sitting his briefcase down on the floor. "My name is Marcus Jones. I represent the West Coat Division of the Tate Bottling and Distribution Company. We've recently expanded into the San Francisco area and I'm here to offer you significant savings on your alcohol purchases."  
  
"A salesman," said Piper. "Listen, I'm quite happy with the company I deal with now."  
  
"Oh, but we can save you as much as fifteen percent or more on all your purchases," said Jones. "In addition, for simply trying us on a trial basis, you'll receive this set of knives and other utensils absolutely essential for someone in your line of work."  
  
He opened the box he was carrying. Inside was an assortment of knives, a corkscrew, a peeler, several bottle stoppers, and what looked like a juicer. He picked up one of the knives.  
  
"All are made of the finest carbon steel," he said. "They never need sharpening, are rustproof, dishwasher safe, and absolutely guaranteed for as long as you own them. Perfect for, say, what you're doing at the moment."  
  
"Like I said," said Piper, "I'm very happy with my current distributor."  
  
"At least try it," said Jones, holding the knife out to her. "I'm sure you'll find the feel much better than what you've been using."  
  
"I don't want to be rude," said Piper, starting to put away the glasses she had just washed, "but I don't want to change distributors. I'm sure you're company is very good, but I've dealt with . . ."  
  
One of the glasses was still wet and slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor.  
  
"Damn," she said. "Listen, Mr. Jones, is it? I'm really busy right now. I don't really have time to deal with this."  
  
Piper bent down and started picking up the broken glass. As she did, the still wet shard slipped from her hand.  
  
"Ow," she said, standing up.  
  
Blood covered her index finger.  
  
"My dear," said Jones, pulling out a handkerchief and holding it over her bleeding finger, "you should never pick up broken glass with your bare hands."  
  
"It's okay," said Piper, pulling her hand away, "it's only a scratch. Now, as I was saying, I'm really very busy. I need to get back to work."  
  
"Of course," said Jones, picking up his briefcase and the box of knives. "Perhaps another time when you aren't so busy. I'll just see myself out."  
  
Piper went back to cleaning up the glass while Jones left P3. He walked down the street a short distance, and then turned up an alley. He walked up the alley a short distance, and then stopped.  
  
Jones pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and looked at it. There was blood on it. He smiled. That had been easier than he thought it would be. He looked around to make sure he was alone, and then just vanished from the alley. 


	3. Chapter 3

THREE  
  
Piper walked into the manor and dropped her car keys on the table. She was a bit tired but she knew there were still wedding plans to be made. Paige came out of the living room.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" asked Piper.  
  
"Nothing," said Paige. "Phoebe is getting neurotic over the wedding."  
  
"You mean more than normal?" joked Piper. "I still remember my wedding. I just hope nothing like that happens this time."  
  
"Everything will be fine," said Paige. "Hey, we're twins."  
  
She held up her right hand, exposing a band-aid on the index finger. Piper held up her right hand showing a band-aid on the same finger.  
  
"Oh," said Piper, "I broke a glass at work. How'd you cut yours?"  
  
"Some salesman with defective items," said Paige. "It's not serious."  
  
"Me, too," said Piper. "An alcohol salesman. He distracted me for a moment."  
  
"Was he cute?" asked Paige, smiling.  
  
"I'm married," said Piper.  
  
"You can still look," said Paige. "No harm in looking."  
  
"I'm still married," said Piper. "Happily married. Where's Cole? I thought he'd be here."  
  
"He said something about farming his cases out to other lawyers," said Paige.  
  
"Justice doesn't stop just because you get married," said Phoebe, coming down the stairs.  
  
"No, I guess it doesn't," said Piper. "How are you doing?"  
  
"Nervous," said Phoebe. "Only a few more days. Now I know how you felt."  
  
"It'll be over before you know it," said Piper.  
  
"Where's Leo?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"Probably off with one of his charges," said Piper. "Occupational hazard, I guess."  
  
"Evil doesn't stop because you get married, either," said Paige.  
  
"Boy, do we know that," said Phoebe.  
  
"Okay," said Piper, "I'll make something quick for dinner and then we can get back to the wedding plans."  
  
Leo had arrived by the time dinner was ready. As usual, he couldn't talk about why he had been gone so long. Piper and Phoebe were very used to it. Paige was getting more used to it.  
  
And, as usual of late, the talk around the table was about the upcoming wedding. A hundred decisions still had to be made about the wedding and Phoebe was concerned nothing would be ready in time.  
  
"Every bride-to-be feels that way," said Leo. "I know Piper did. I guess it's one of the pitfalls of a wedding."  
  
"Most weddings don't have to worry about demons crashing the party," said Phoebe.  
  
"That's not going to happen," said Paige. "Your wedding will go off without a hitch and pretty soon you and Cole will be honeymooning, wondering what all the fuss was about."  
  
"I hope so," said Phoebe.  
  
"Trust me," said Paige. "You'll see. All of these worries will be for nothing."  
  
Suddenly a man simply appeared behind Phoebe. Piper and Paige recognized him immediately. He was Paige's cosmetics salesman and Pipers' alcohol salesman. He pulled out a long dagger and put it to Phoebes' throat.  
  
"If anyone moves," said the man, "she dies." 


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR  
  
Piper looked at Phoebe, and then at the man standing behind her. He was obviously a warlock. Which meant her freezing power would work on him.  
  
"Think again," said the man, as if knowing what she was thinking. "I know what you're planning. You'll just freeze me. Well, that won't work on me. If you don't believe me, go ahead and try. Of course, when it doesn't work, I'll just take sissy here and leave. Your White Lighter won't be able to save her."  
  
"What do you want?" demanded Piper.  
  
"Not a whole lot, really," said the man.  
  
He reached down with the dagger and made a cut on Phoebe's arm.  
  
"Hey, that hurt," said Phoebe.  
  
"Put your napkin on it," ordered the man.  
  
"What?" questioned Phoebe.  
  
"Just do it," snapped the man.  
  
Phoebe did as he said and the man stood looking at the others for several moments. Then he reached down and pulled the napkin from her arm. He smiled, seeing the blood that had soaked into it.  
  
"That'll do," he said. "Sorry I disturbed your dinner. Please, finish."  
  
Without another word the man simply vanished from the kitchen.  
  
* * *  
  
"I'll bet his name isn't either Smith or Jones," said Phoebe, after Piper and Paige had told the others how they had met him. "But what was he after?"  
  
"He seemed to want your blood," said Leo.  
  
"He got mine, too," said Paige. "The handkerchief he used to stop my bleeding finger? He took it with him when he left. I didn't give it much thought at the time."  
  
"He did the same thing with me," said Piper. "I hardly noticed what he had done."  
  
"Why would he want our blood?" asked Paige.  
  
"Remember Dr. Williamson?" Piper asked Phoebe.  
  
"Who's Dr. Williamson?" asked Paige.  
  
Piper and Phoebe told Paige of the incident where Piper had contracted Arroyo Fever. After her miraculous cure, Dr. Williamson had accidentally injected himself with their blood. It had given him their powers. And driving him mad, since he was a mortal and unprepared for the powers.  
  
"You think that's what this Smith or Jones wants?" asked Leo.  
  
"It makes sense," said Phoebe. "He's not the first warlock to come after our powers. First there was Jeremy. Then there was Michael Tate. Warlocks do steal witches powers, after all."  
  
"And he's done it with a minimum of fuss or danger to himself," said Piper. "Paige and I practically handed ours to him. And just now we simply let him take Phoebes' blood."  
  
"You can't blame yourself for that," said Leo. "You couldn't risk Phoebe's life."  
  
"You think he'll be back?" asked Paige.  
  
"I'd bet on it," said Piper. "When word gets out how easily he got our blood, he won't want any other warlock trying to duplicate it. He'll have to get rid of us to prevent that."  
  
"If he can duplicate your powers," said Leo, "he might also be able to devise a protection against them. Without your powers, you'll be completely helpless against him."  
  
"Does that include my White Lighter powers?" asked Paige.  
  
"Yes," said Leo. "Your powers as a White Lighter can be passed on through your blood just as your witch powers can."  
  
"This isn't good," said Piper.  
  
"Guess the wedding is on hold for the moment," said Phoebe. "It won't be much of a wedding if the bride is dead."  
  
"I'll check with the Elders to see if they know anything," said Leo.  
  
"I'll check the Book of Shadows," said Paige. "There might be an entry in there on this warlock."  
  
"Phoebe," said Piper, "you and I can get started on some potions. If he can devise a protection against our powers, they may be our only chance." 


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE  
  
The potion Piper was preparing would be ready soon. It had to simmer for thirty minutes before she could add the final ingredient. Until then, she could only wait. Leo had returned. The Elders didn't know any more than they did. There was no indication who this warlock was. Paige also had no luck with the Book of Shadows. No entry on any warlock seemed to fit this one. And they were all sure they weren't dealing with a demon.  
  
"We just don't know enough about him," said Leo. "If there was just some indication who he might be, we might know what he's after. Besides your powers, of course."  
  
"The potion will be ready in about fifteen minutes," said Piper. "Then it won't matter what he wants. When he shows up again, we'll vanquish him and this will all be over."  
  
"That's not going to happen, I'm afraid."  
  
They all turned to see the warlock standing in the entryway. Piper immediately raised her hands to explode him. But the power passed harmlessly around him.  
  
"I told you your powers won't work on me," said the warlock, holding up his hand to show a ring he was wearing. "None of your powers will be of any use against me."  
  
"Come back to kill us?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"I don't want you dead," said the warlock. "If I did, I've had ample opportunity for that."  
  
"Then what do you want?" asked Piper.  
  
The warlock reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He then tossed it onto the coffee table. It was a gold locket on a gold chain.  
  
"I simply want you to open this," said the warlock. "That's all."  
  
"Piper," said Phoebe, "that's Melinda's locked."  
  
"Melinda Warren?" questioned Leo.  
  
"Yes," said Piper. "And it has a warlock named Michael Tate trapped inside it. There's no way we're going to open that."  
  
The warlock pulled a photograph out of his pocket and threw it on the table. It showed a teenage girl, bound and gagged, in a chair. On her lap sat a newspaper with today's date on it.  
  
"It's very simple," said the warlock. "Open the locket and she goes free. If not, well."  
  
"Why don't you open it yourself?" asked Paige.  
  
"I can't," said the warlock. "No one can except one of you. The enchantment allows only someone in Melinda Warren's line to open it. Which means any of you can open it for me. That's all I want from you. Just open the locket.  
  
"Michael Tate can duplicate any power used against him," Piper explained to Paige. "We barely defeated him. And we were able to strip away the powers he had stolen. If we release him, he'll become a threat against all witches."  
  
"Actually," said the warlock, "Melinda Warren defeated him. Twice. She's the one who cast the spell that stripped his powers and trapped him in the locket. But her spell didn't strip the powers the second time. She could only strip the powers he'd stolen from her. Since he got those powers from you the second time, she couldn't take them away."  
  
"Piper," said Phoebe, "we all used our powers against him. If that's true, he'll still have them when he's released."  
  
"Oh, it's quite true," said the warlock. "There's no reason for me to lie to you. That's why I want him released."  
  
"Like I said," said Piper, "that's not going to happen."  
  
"And what of the poor innocent?" asked the warlock, picking up the photograph of the girl. "Does she have to pay for your obstinacy? My, my, I wonder what your precious Elders will say about that? Causing the death of a innocent when you were able to prevent it?"  
  
"He's right, Piper," said Leo. "You can't let the girl die if you can prevent it."  
  
Piper looked at Leo and then at the warlock. She knew they were both right. The Charmed Ones had to protect the innocent, no matter what the risk to themselves. It was the price of being a Charmed One. She picked up the locket and looked at it. Then she looked at Phoebe. Phoebe just nodded. Piper looked at Paige.  
  
"We'll find another way to stop him," said Paige.  
  
Piper looked at the warlock one last time. Then she pressed the button and the locket popped open. Magic swirled out of the locket and began to coalesce. When it finished, Michael Tate stood in the living room. He looked at the sisters and Leo, and then he noticed the warlock standing there. For a minute, he didn't seem to recognize the warlock. Suddenly his expression changed.  
  
"Morgan?" questioned Tate.  
  
"Hello, brother," said the warlock, smiling. 


	6. Chapter 6

SIX  
  
"I'm still in the future," said Michael, looking around.  
  
"Yes," said Morgan. "I came to the future to get you released from the locket."  
  
"Why would you do that?" asked Michael suspiciously.  
  
"Because," said Morgan, pulling a vial out of his pocket, "you're still too much of a threat. I can't let that threat continue, even if you are my own brother."  
  
Morgan threw the vial on the floor at Michael's feet. As the vial shattered, flames engulfed Michael. Within seconds the flames subsided and Michael was gone.  
  
"It's finished," said Morgan, sitting down. "He's finally vanquished."  
  
"What just happened here?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"I'd like to know that myself," said Piper  
  
"He called you Morgan," said Leo.  
  
"Yes," said Morgan. "My name is Morgan Tate. I was Michael's older brother."  
  
"You vanquished your own brother?" asked Paige.  
  
"That's why I came here," said Morgan. "When Melinda returned from the future, she told me what had happened. We both knew it wasn't finished. As long as Michael was still alive, he was a threat to all witches. Especially since he now had your powers. What I told you about that is true, I'm afraid."  
  
"You're not a warlock?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"No," said Morgan. "I'm a witch, like you are. Like Michael was at one time."  
  
"Wait a minute," said Piper. "None of this is making any sense. Michael was a witch?"  
  
"Let me start from the beginning," said Morgan. "As you know, most witches are female. But being a witch is not gender specific. That's because the lineage is passed down through the women of the family. But there are instances where it's passed down through the male members of the family. My family is one of those. Michael and I were born witches.  
  
"As the eldest, I was more powerful than Michael was. He was always envious of me for that. As often happens, his envy turned to jealousy, which eventually turned to hatred. Over time, it became a deep, intense hatred because he was never quite as powerful as I was."  
  
"And he turned evil," said Leo, "becoming a warlock."  
  
"Yes," said Morgan. "You, of course, are aware of what happened with Melinda. When she told me how you had brought her to the future, we both knew there was always the chance the locket could be opened again. We had to prevent that."  
  
"Wait," said Paige, "if you aren't a warlock, how can you blink? I thought only warlocks could blink."  
  
"Actually," said Leo, "I think Morgan was teleporting. It's a much more powerful form of blinking. Or I guess I should say that blinking is a less powerful form of teleporting. But a good witch can teleport."  
  
"Leo's correct," said Morgan. "Teleporting is one of my abilities. And this," he raised his hand to show them a ring he was wearing, "protected me from your powers. Melinda and I felt that it was necessary to keep you from stopping me before I could vanquish Michael. When I return to the past, it will loose its enchantment."  
  
"So, why did you need our blood?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"For the vanquishing potion," said Morgan. "He got his powers from you, so I need your blood for that. And mine was needed because I was a blood relative."  
  
"Did it ever occur to you to just ask us?" asked Piper.  
  
"Excuse me," said Morgan. "I'm the brother of a warlock, one of your most powerful enemies. I need a sample of your blood and while we're at it I need you to release him from the locket so I can vanquish him. Would you have really believed me?"  
  
"No, I guess no," said Piper.  
  
"And if I had asked you and you didn't believe me," said Morgan, "I would have lost my only chance to stop him."  
  
"I guess I can see your point," said Phoebe. "I guess you were stuck between a rock and a hard place."  
  
"Yes," said Morgan. "I'm sorry for all the subterfuge and intrigue. But I honestly thought it was the best way to get Michael out of the locket so I could vanquish him."  
  
"You seem very comfortable in our time," said Phoebe. "More than Melinda did."  
  
"I've been here nearly four years," said Morgan. "When Melinda told me of all the strange things here, I decided I needed to learn about your time. So it would seem I belonged here. It gave me a better chance of tricking you into giving me your blood for the potion."  
  
"What now?" asked Piper.  
  
"Michael's gone for good," said Morgan. "I've done what I came to do. It's time for me to return to my own time."  
  
"Wait a minute," said Paige. "What about your hostage?"  
  
"She's quite safe, I assure you," said Morgan. "Just some young lady who allowed me to take her picture. I needed some leverage to get you to open the locket. I figured the best way to do that was to make you think an innocent was in danger."  
  
"Well, that did the trick all right," said Piper. "I'm just glad you're on our side. You seem to know us pretty well. That kind of knowledge could be dangerous in the wrong hands."  
  
"Actually it's Melinda who knows you so well," said Morgan. "You are her descendents, after all."  
  
"You need our help or anything to get back?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"No," said Morgan. "I have an incantation that will reverse the magic that brought me here. I'm glad to see Melinda's line continues. You have no idea how proud she is of all of you."  
  
"Phoebe and I do," said Piper. "Tell her we miss her very much."  
  
"I shall do that," said Morgan. "And she misses you, too. I shall also tell her all about Paige. She is, after all, your ancestor, too."  
  
"Thanks," said Paige.  
  
Morgan stood up and walked into the entryway. He turned and faced the four.  
  
"Blessed be," he said.  
  
"Blessed be," repeated the sisters.  
  
Morgan closed his eyes and recited the incantation.  
  
"Into the future, to right a wrong, to vanquish a brother, to evil had turned.  
  
"Return to the past, the deed set right, the threat is extinguished, no more to fight."  
  
Morgan opened his eyes and smiled. The magic enveloped him and within seconds he vanished, returning to his own time.  
  
"That was one for the books," said Piper. "Who would have guessed Michael Tate would have a brother named Morgan who was a witch."  
  
"Morgan Tate?" questioned Paige. "Now I remember where I've heard that name before."  
  
She jumped up and ran upstairs. Several minutes later she came back downstairs with a stack of paper.  
  
"I've been researching our family history," said Paige. "You know, to learn where I came from."  
  
"You were an orphan," said Phoebe. "Sounds pretty reasonable to me."  
  
"According to what I've found," said Paige, "there was a man named Morgan Tate who lived at the same time Melinda Warren lived."  
  
"We know that," said Piper. "He told us that."  
  
"Yes," said Paige, "but what he didn't say was that there were rumors that he and Melinda were a lot more than just friends. In fact, there was a lot of speculation that he was the father of Melinda Warren's daughter."  
  
"It's more than speculation," said Leo. "It's true."  
  
"The sisters stared at Leo in surprise. 


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN  
  
"What do you mean it's true?" asked Piper.  
  
"Morgan and Melinda were involved," said Leo. "Melinda's daughter was the result of that involvement. It's one of the reasons you three are so powerful."  
  
"I don't understand," said Phoebe.  
  
"Morgan Tate's line produces male witches," said Leo. "Melinda Warren's line produces female witches. There are exceptions, but that's normal for their lines. Haven't you ever wondered why Melinda's line was selected to produce the Charmed Ones?"  
  
"I guess we just never thought about it," said Piper.  
  
"That's the reason," said Leo. "When Melinda's daughter was born, it combined the magic from both lines. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before that combination surfaced. And when it did, it would be much more powerful than just the magic of a single line. So the Elders set out grooming Melinda Warren's descendents for the time when that power came out."  
  
"Us," said Paige.  
  
"Yes," said Leo. "The Power of Three."  
  
"So," said Phoebe, "that means Morgan was our great, great, whatever, grandfather?"  
  
"That's right," said Leo. "That's why I was surprised when I found out who he was. No one knew he'd ever come forward in time. Neither he nor Melinda ever mentioned it to anyone."  
  
"Then he knew who we were," said Piper. "That we were his descendents as well as Melinda's descendents."  
  
"Yes, he did," said Leo.  
  
"Does he have any other descendents?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"He had one son before he met Melinda," said Leo. "As you saw, he was considerably older than she was. That wasn't at all unusual in his time. Many men had much younger wives and such. His line still continues, producing male witches."  
  
"I'll be," said Piper. "So we have some distant cousins out there somewhere."  
  
"Very distant," said Leo. "It has been 300 years, after all."  
  
"Family is family," said Paige. "After so many years of being an orphan, now I find I have family all over the place."  
  
"Come on, orphan," said Piper. "We have a vanquishing potion we don't need that has to be cleaned up."  
  
The End  
  
If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, www.geocities.com/killeenmale/ . You can also post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction. 


End file.
